BIOMARKERS REVOLUTIONIZE OVARIAN CANCER TREATMENT: OBSERVING WORLD OVARIAN CANCER DAY.
Genetic markers are taking on an even greater significance in ovarian cancer, a disease that has long been associated with the role of BRCA1/2 gene mutations in many patients. Testing for particular biomarkers not only predicts risk factors for the disease but can also guide treatment choices for patients with advanced ovarian cancer to maximize survival outcomes. Targeted therapy with PARP inhibitors initially showed efficacy in patients with BRCA mutations, but now benefit has been shown for those with BRCA wild-type disease with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) as well, making testing for both of these biomarkers crucial. Originally approved in later lines of therapy, PARP inhibitor therapy is beneficial earlier in treatment and now plays a role as primary maintenance following frontline platinum-based chemotherapy. Studies have shown that these therapies can double the duration of progression-free survival (PFS).1,2 With mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (Elahere), an anti